BERGMANN: Enough is never enough for police

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The question was posed to me in an email from a patrolman last week, who took the time to lambaste me for my most recent column, "Fairness issue losing argument for cops," suggesting they were overpaid in New Jersey.

It's a timely, highly relevant question. The state Assembly is trying to decide whether it should vote to renew a 2 percent cap on police and fire arbitration awards that expired two weeks ago or to stick it to property taxpayers once again. Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a bill that would have essentially eliminated any cap, and the state Senate quickly went along with the veto. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto wants to "negotiate" a compromise.

If the cap continues to lapse, police salaries will continue to spiral out of control while other municipal services - and, likely, jobs - will have to be cut. The police unions clearly don't care. They want more.

Six figures won't do?

I didn't answer the patrolman's question. Instead, I threw it back at him. I wanted to know what he thought he was worth.

I wanted to know if he really felt $100,000 a year in base pay, which the majority of police officers are making by the time they reach their mid-30s, wasn't enough. (See chart, "Patrol officer maximum base pay.") Whether being able to retire in his late 40s or early 50s with a pension worth 65 percent or 70 percent of his final bloated salary wasn't enough. Whether he was unhappy with his benefits, which for many officers includes three- or four-day work weeks, four weeks of vacation after 15 years on the job, 15 paid sick days a year and ample opportunities to fatten their base salaries with overtime, extra duty pay and other sweeteners.

He has yet to respond.

In his lengthy email diatribe, he questioned my true reason for writing the column: "Are you really worried about saving taxpayers money? Because it really seems that your motive here is jealousy. ... Listen, I am truly sorry that you picked a profession that is slowly dying and will probably be defunct in a couple of years. I'm sorry if you never made that coveted six-figure income you're so jealous of."

Nice.

Oblivious to basic economics

Sadly, the letter typifies the mind-set of many officers and their families, who believe you simply cannot put a price on the value of police officers because they risk their lives every day. Well, in the real world, you need to put a price on it. And when it comes to public employee jobs, it must be a price taxpayers can afford.

Included in the group of those dismissive of the economic realities facing the state is PBA president Anthony Wieners. In response to Christie's remarks at a town hall last week urging the Assembly to act on his conditional veto of the arbitration cap, Wieners immediately fired off an email ripping him: "Governor Christie's repeated attempts to belittle police and fire by calling us special interests demonstrates that he is incapable of working towards reasonable solutions to issues of mutual concern."

And then, this loathsome attempt to throw it all back on Christie. "It is evident that the Governor desperately needs a distraction from the ongoing Criminal Federal investigation surrounding him and his top advisers. He will shamefully come to the Memorial Service for fallen officers and call us heroes when we die but while we are alive he seems determined to diminish our service and sacrifices."

There it is again, the recurring theme: No price is too high for the sacrifices made by police officers.

I concede that being a cop is a dangerous job. I wouldn't want to do it. Most people wouldn't. But no one is forcing anyone to put on a badge. And it would be disingenuous, and false, for them to suggest that their excessive salaries and benefits are driven by the laws of supply and demand. There is no shortage of candidates for police officer vacancies in New Jersey.

Police are highly compensated here because they have a powerful union behind them, one that is good at negotiating and intimidating.

The email from the police officer is a perfect example of intimidation.

After he estimated my salary - "You probably make good money ... Maybe $75K a year. Not bad" - he proceeded to tell me how much more "responsibility" cops have: "Let's recap my responsibilities. I can legally take your life. I can legally end your life with no consequences to me. I can take your liberty and freedom away from you for the rest of your life by putting you in prison forever."

Then he goes on to tell me how he has been shot at, how he has had a baby die in his arms and how, "Every day I see the worst of people."

I get that. I know he does difficult, important work. But it is his chosen profession. And cops aren't the only public servants who make major contributions to society, or who face risks.

By going to the wall for every last cent, police are not only effectively taking money out of the pockets of other public employees, they are tightening their grip on the neck of taxpayers.

Historically, police were not well compensated. But over the past two decades or more, that has changed with each successive contract. Dramatically. So, too, have the economic realities. It's time police, their union leadership and Speaker Prieto recognize how good they have it.

And it's time for Prieto to extend the arbitration cap.

If you agree that police and firefighters already are getting far more than a square deal and support extension of the 2 percent arbitration cap, let Prieto know about it. Call him at 201-770-1303 or email himfrom his legislative website.

State law requires that copies of police and other municipal and county public employee contracts can be posted on the Public Employees Relation Commission website. If your town's contracts are missing, call your mayor or contact PERC at 609-984-7372 or by email.

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BERGMANN: Enough is never enough for police

How much should police officers make? The question was posed to me in an email from a patrolman last week, who took the time to lambaste me for my most recent column, 'Fairness issue losing argument

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